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Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific

Page 24

by Deborah Hopkinson


  and torpedo malfunctions, 229

  and Wewak Harbor mission, 190–93, 196–97, 203–4, 206–10, 211–13, 215

  See also USS Wahoo

  Morton-O’Kane technique, 179, 226

  motivations of submariners, 287–88

  Murray, Stuart “Sunshine,” 73

  names of submarines, 42

  Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 175

  Naval Cross, 144, 145, 147

  Netherlands East Indies, 22

  New Britain, Japanese base on, 174, 182

  New Guinea, 182

  New York Times, 2

  New Zealand, 24, 27

  nighttime surfacing of submarines, 58

  Nimitz, Chester, 132, 233, 270, 283, 298, 309

  Noonan, Jennifer, 116

  nurses, 97–102, 104–5, 108–9

  Office of Naval Records and History, 32

  officer of the deck (OOD), 141, 142

  O’Kane, Richard “Dick”

  attack strategies of, 216, 226

  aviators rescued by, 271–72, 273, 275

  and Buyo Maru incident, 220, 221

  and command of Tang, 243–45, 259–64, 265–68, 278–80

  and dive times, 185

  and Grider, 233, 236

  and improvements on Tang, 244

  and Kennedy in command, 171–72

  and loss of Tang, 279–80

  and loss of Wahoo, 243

  and Morton, 172, 178–80, 179, 201, 225, 228, 240

  and Navy Cross, 225

  and patrol report, 225–26

  and periscope incident, 202

  as prisoner of war, 280, 299

  rest of, 215

  return to open sea, 214–15

  ships sunk by, 300, 314, 315

  on stranded fishermen, 218–19

  temper of, 171

  and unexpected dive, 265–68

  and Wewak Harbor mission, 190, 192, 196–97, 201–3, 205–10, 211, 215

  See also USS Tang; USS Wahoo

  Okinawa, Japan, 303

  Operation Barney, 282–83, 286–88, 310

  Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland, xii

  Overdue and Presumed Lost (Sheridan), 188

  Pacific, map of, xiv–xv

  Pacific Fleet of US Navy, 307, 26–27

  and Asiatic Fleet, 79

  and attack strategies, 216

  aviators rescued by, 269–72, 282

  commanders of, 133 (see also English, Robert “Bob”; Kimmel, Husband E.; Lockwood, Charles A., Jr.; Nimitz, Chester)

  lost submarines, 187–88, 227, 233, 238

  organization of, 78

  and Pearl Harbor, 216

  responsibilities of ships in, 44

  size of fleet, 24, 307

  and torpedo malfunctions, 122, 229

  and Yamamoto, 132

  Paine, Roger, 236

  Papua New Guinea, 238

  Parks, Bill, 251–54

  P class (Porpoise class) of submarines, 41

  Pearl Harbor

  attack on, 2, 3, 4, 7–15, 10–11, 13, 80

  casualties of, 12, 18, 19, 22

  effect of, on skippers’ tactics, 216

  and Ford Island Naval Air Station, 14, 17–19, 21, 22

  on map, xv

  and Miller’s Naval Cross, 144, 145, 147

  and morale of Americans, 22, 23

  news of, 29–31, 40

  post-attack state of, 162–63

  and rescue efforts, 15, 17

  and Roosevelt’s address to Congress, 2

  and search for survivors, 15

  Seawolf’s return to, 162–63

  submarines and submarine base at, 23, 24, 307

  and USS Arizona, 3, 5–9, 10–11, 12

  and USS California, 16, 17–19

  Wahoo’s return to, 223

  Yamamoto’s goals for, 8, 13, 20

  Penny (mascot of USS Gurnard), 251–54, 310

  periscopes of submarines

  and false alarms, 85, 87

  function and use of, 62–63

  low/high power incident with, 202

  and Morton-O’Kane technique, 179–80, 226

  pharmacist’s mates, 276–77

  Philippines, xiv

  American military bases in, 20, 22, 29

  Clark Field in, 46, 80

  and Corregidor resupply mission, 84

  crew remaining to defend, 43

  dangerous waters of, 45

  evacuation of, 72–75, 81, 95

  inability of US to defend, 108

  Japanese air control of, 46

  Japan’s invasion of, 80

  Japan’s occupation of, 105, 108

  and news of Pearl Harbor, 28–31

  Seawolf in waters of, 58–59, 60–67

  and supplying of submarines, 79

  and war plan of Japan, 26

  See also Cavite Naval Station in the Philippines

  pilots rescued by submarines, 269–72, 273–75, 292, 302

  Plantz, Ernie, 47–48, 53

  Poland, 24

  Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, 33

  Prange, Gordon, 20

  Presidential Unit Citation, 50

  prisoners of war (POW) camps

  of Bataan, 106–7

  and Buyo Maru incident, 222

  and end of war, 299–300

  evacuation of, 300

  nurses, 99, 100

  and Plantz, 53

  and soldiers left in Philippines, 74–75

  from the Tang, 280

  racial discrimination, 144

  rat on USS Pogy, 257–58

  Rector, Darrel “Dean,” 276–77

  refueling and refitting of submarines, 74, 75

  Riley, Jim, 29–30

  Roosevelt, Franklin D.

  and Corregidor resupply mission, 84

  and evacuation of Philippines, 95

  and Fenno, 93

  and Morison’s war history, 26

  and nurses, 108

  and Pearl Harbor attack, 2

  Roscoe, Theodore

  on courage of submariners, 296

  on Morton, 176

  on Sea of Japan, 282–83

  on Seawolf, 165–66

  on submarines leaving Manila, 57

  on tenders, 78–79

  on war strategy of the US, 24–25

  Rowls, John, 199, 213

  Royal, Anderson Peter “A. P.,” 146–47

  Royal Court of King Neptune, 112–13

  Run Silent, Run Deep (Beach), 156, 309

  Sackett, E. L., 94, 96, 101–2

  safety factors on submarines, 188

  Saipan, 149, 292

  Salmon class boats, 41

  Sands, E. T. “Gene,” 229

  San Francisco Maritime National Park Association, xiii

  scuttling (sinking) ships, 96–97

  Sea of Japan, 229, 231, 233, 238, 282–83

  Secard, Ed, 155

  segregation, 144, 146

  Shapley, Alan, 7

  Sheridan, Martin, 187–89

  shipping and supply lines

  defense of, 24

  importance of, to Japan, 308

  and merchant marine casualties, 308

  and Pearl Harbor attack, 22

  submarines’ ability to disrupt, 23, 24, 44, 79, 269

  and USS Trigger, 149

  and USS Wahoo, 182, 226

  ships sunk by submarines

  first and last ships sunk by US, 306

  in Operation Barney, 286–87

  ranked by skippers, 315

  ranked by war patrols, 315

  and tonnage calculations, 167–68

  top performances, 314

  total number of, 308

  by USS Seawolf, 124–25, 159, 161, 165–66, 314

  by USS Spadefish, 314, 315

  by USS Tang, 259–64, 268, 278–79, 292, 300, 314, 315

  by USS Trigger, 152, 157, 157–58, 314

  by USS Wahoo, 233, 234–35, 237, 300, 314, 315

&n
bsp; showers on submarines, 109

  Siam, 80

  Sieglaff, William Bernard “Barney,” 282, 310

  silence on submarines, 152, 205

  Silversides (Trumbull), 147

  Sincavich, John “Stinky,” 246–47

  Singapore, 20, 174

  skippers of submarines

  African Americans as, 146

  aggressive, 269 (see also Morton, Dudley “Mush”; O’Kane, Richard “Dick”)

  ineffective, 119, 126, 174, 216–17

  and Medal of Honor, 307

  total number of, 307

  sleeping quarters on submarines, 55, 86, 105

  Solomon Islands, 175

  sonar equipment, 283, 286

  souls of ships, 130

  South Africa, 24

  Soviet Union, 24

  Springer, Frank, 278, 279

  squadrons, 78

  Stassen, Harold, 300

  Sterling, Forest J. “Yeo”

  and Buyo Maru incident, 222

  and dives, 184–85, 186

  and leadership of Morton, 172, 180–81, 182–83, 209

  leaving the Wahoo, 231–32

  and patrol report, 225

  and stenography school, 229–30, 231–32

  and Wahoo’s last departure, 232

  and watches, 183, 184, 215

  and Wewak Harbor mission, 199–200, 205–6, 209

  at the wheel, 183

  See also USS Wahoo

  stowaways, 250, 251–56, 252, 257–58

  stress endured by submariners, 119–20, 126, 152

  Submarine War Reports, 308

  submerged state of submarines, 45–46. See also dives

  Surabaya, Java, naval base at, 81

  Syverson, Donald, 68

  Tambor class boats, 41

  tankers, 259–64

  targets of submarines, 61

  tenders

  Seawolf’s attack on, 64–67, 120–21

  for submarines, 42, 78–79

  as valuable target, 61

  toilets on submarines, 109, 110–11

  Tojo, Hideki, 310

  tonnage (term), 167–68

  torpedo data computers (TDC), 206

  torpedoes

  and Bureau of Ordnance, 122, 123

  complaints about, 120–22

  and down-the-throat shots, 207

  improvements in, 269

  loading, 64

  malfunctions of, 68, 120–22, 174, 229, 309

  and Morton-O’Kane technique, 180

  and Seawolf’s attack on seaplane tender, 120–21

  shortage of, 119

  and sleeping quarters, 86

  testing, 123, 126

  and tonnage calculations, 168

  total number fired, 307

  Truk Lagoon, 270, 292

  Tsugaru Strait, 283

  Tulagi, Japanese occupation of, 174

  Tunny, Gene, 230–31

  Tzomes, C. A. “Pete,” 146, 147

  Underwood, Gordon, 255, 314

  United States, 20, 23, 24, 80

  US Congress, 2, 23

  US Department of the Navy, 25, 32

  US Navy

  fleet of, 22, 307

  Imperial Japanese Navy defeated by, 293

  morale of, 22

  and orders from Navy Department, 25

  and Pearl Harbor attack, 8, 13, 20, 22

  and Presidential Unit Citation, 50

  submarines of, 22

  and two-ocean war, 25

  See also Asiatic Fleet of US Navy; Pacific Fleet of US Navy

  US Navy Submarine Service, 33

  USS Albacore, 293

  USS Argonaut, 171–72

  USS Arizona, 3, 5–9, 10–11, 12

  USS Barb, 315

  USS Blueback, xii

  USS Bonefish, 287–91, 288, 290, 306, 309

  USS Bowfin, 237

  USS Bullhead, 187–88, 306

  USS California, 16, 17–19

  USS Canopus tender

  in Corregidor, 73, 74

  and evacuation of Philippines, 73

  function and use of, 78–79

  launching of, 97

  and news of Pearl Harbor, 30

  scuttling (sinking) of, 96–97

  submarine fleet of, 94

  USS Cavalla, 293, 298

  USS Cisco, 227

  USS Crevalle, 286

  USS Dace, 293

  USS Darter, 293

  USS Diablo, 42

  USS Dragonet, 146–47

  USS Flasher, 216, 248–49, 314, 315

  USS Gar, 255

  USS Guardfish, 314

  USS Gurnard, 251–54, 310

  USS Harder, 315

  USS Holland, 42, 75, 282

  USS Houston, 147

  USS Lea, 129

  USS Missouri, 297, 301, 303

  USS Oklahoma, 8

  USS Otus, 75

  USS Pampanito, xiii

  USS Pecos, 43

  USS Pennsylvania, 6

  USS Perch, 47–49, 53

  USS Perry, 103

  USS Pigeon, 49–50

  USS Pogy, 257–58

  USS Pollack, 227, 233

  USS Rasher, 314

  USS Ray, 270

  USS Sargo, 121

  USS Sawfish, 229

  USS Sculpin, 43

  USS Sea Dog, 286

  USS Seadragon, 30, 46–47, 49–50, 276–77

  USS Seahorse, 148, 314, 315

  USS Sealion

  and Cavite Naval Station attack, 47–49, 48, 51

  loss of, 73, 306

  maintenance of, 30, 46–47

  USS Searaven, 292

  USS Seawolf, 32, 33–40

  battle flag of, 166

  and Cavite Naval Station, 43, 54

  Christmas on, 69–71

  construction of, 33–34

  control room of, 35–37, 36

  and Corregidor resupply mission, 84–91, 162

  crew of, 35

  and crew reassignments, 163–64

  and Davao Harbor patrol, 159–61

  and depth-charge attacks, 162

  destroyer’s pursuit of, 66–67

  and directive from headquarters, 44–45

  and evacuation of Philippines, 75–76

  familiarity of crew with, 163–64

  and fish noises, 54, 56

  loss of, 165

  maintenance of, 29, 30

  and news of Pearl Harbor, 40

  nighttime surfacing of, 58

  number assigned to, 42

  periscope observations of, 62–63, 65

  refueling and refitting of, 75

  return to Pearl Harbor, 162–63

  seaplane tender attack of, 64–67, 120

  ships sunk by, 124–25, 159, 161, 165–66, 314

  skipper of (see Warder, Frederick “Fearless Freddie”)

  sophistication of, 35

  sound equipment of, 34–35, 37, 54, 56

  surfacing to recharge batteries, 45–46

  test dive of, 37–39, 38

  torpedoes of, 65–68, 120–21

  See also Eckberg, Joseph Melvin

  USS Shark, 74

  USS Silversides, 314

  USS Skate, 286

  USS Skipjack, 121, 292

  USS Spadefish, 284–85

  and Luau (mascot), 255–56, 309

  and mine detection sonar, 283

  and Operation Barney, 286

  ships sunk by, 314, 315

  USS Spearfish

  and Ancient Order of the Deep, 112–13

  and evacuation of Corregidor, 101–2, 103

  and nurses, 104–5, 108–9, 112–15

  war report of, 103

  USS Squalus (later Sailfish), 38

  USS Sunfish, 292

  USS Swordfish, 68, 306

  USS Tang

  aviators rescued by, 269–72, 273–75

  construction of, 242

  escape from, 280, 281

  ice-cream maker and baking oven on, 244,
272

  loss of, 279–80

  O’Kane’s command of, 243–45

  repairs of, 268, 269

  ships sunk by, 259–64, 268, 278–79, 292, 300, 314, 315

  torpedoes of, 278, 279

  unexpected dive of, 265–68

  See also O’Kane, Richard “Dick”

  USS Tautog, 314

  USS Tennessee, 244

  USS Tinosa, 283, 284–85

  USS Tirante, 154–55, 309

  USS Torsk, 306

  USS Trigger, 128, 131

  African American submariner on, 146

  aiding the Seahorse, 148

  bridge of, 138

  damage sustained by, 154

  and depth-charge attacks, 148, 150–51, 154

  destroyers’ pursuit of, 148–54

  first contact with enemy ship, 137–39, 142–43

  and ice-cream maker, 246–47

  loss of, 155–56

  and preparing for departure, 130, 132

  running aground, 132–36

  ships sunk by, 152, 157, 157–58, 314

  skippers of, 133, 137

  and surrender option, 153

  Wilson’s service on, 154–55, 310

  See also Beach, Edward L. “Ned”

  USS Trigger II, 156

  USS Trout, 67, 92–93

  USS Wahoo, 170, 177

  almost running aground, 202

  and attacks on enemy ships, 171–72

  and Buyo Maru incident, 219–23, 221

  commander and officers of, 171–72, 173, 178–83, 186, 226–27, 236

  crew of, 180–81

  departure from Pearl Harbor, 173

  and depth-charge attacks, 210, 233

  dive times, 184–85, 186

  fame of, 225

  innovations on, 178–81, 184, 214

  loss of, 233, 238, 243, 282, 283

  memorial ceremony for, 237

  morale of crew, 173

  and Navy Cross awards, 225

  and patrol report, 225

  return to Pearl Harbor, 223, 224, 225

  in Sea of Japan, 229, 231, 233

  search for Wewak Harbor, 225

  USS Wahoo (continued)

  ships sunk by, 233, 234–35, 237, 300, 314, 315

  and stranded fishermen, 218, 218–19

  successes of, 223, 226

  and torpedo malfunctions, 229

  watches on, 181–82

  and Wewak Harbor mission, 190–200, 194–95, 201–4, 205–10, 211–15

  wreck of, discovered, 237

  See also Grider, George; Morton, Dudley “Mush”; O’Kane, Richard “Dick”; Sterling, Forest J. “Yeo”

  USS West Virginia, 144

  US State Department, 93

  US Submarine High Command, 76

  Veder, David, 184, 185, 186

  Wainwright, Jonathan M., 95–96, 99, 105, 299

  Wake Island, 52

  Warder, Frederick “Fearless Freddie,” 34

  attack on seaplane tender, 64–67

  and Corregidor resupply mission, 84–85, 87, 88

  and Davao Harbor patrol, 159–61, 166

  departing the Seawolf, 163–64

  on directive from headquarters, 44–45

  distinguished service of, 119–20

  first patrol of, 43

  and fish noises, 54, 56

  nickname of, 34, 59

 

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